Melatonin as alternative to antipsychotics

Hi, I was prescribed olanzapine to help regulate my sleep and ward off psychotic symptoms. Unfortunately I gained weight on the meds and am having difficulty losing weight. I wonder if melatonin could be a good alternative. Has anyone here tried it? What were the results?

At one point, my pdoc suggested I try Melatonin. So I did. What I found was... if I was going to be able to sleep I, of course, didn't need it. But if I wasn't going to be able to sleep, it didn't help. But what it did do, in both cases, was it made me groggy the whole of the following day.

I took Melatonin for years and I'm back on it now.

Shortened version of the story: I was prescribed Ambien 11 years ago and my body got addicted to having a sleep med, I couldn't sleep without a sleep aid. It took 6 years to wean into not using a sleep aid of any sort, with the last 2 or 3 years being various doses of Melatonin. About 2 years ago, my doctor (stupidly) prescribed me something that also worked as a sleep aid, even though I specifically said I wanted to avoid any meds that worked in any fashion as a sedative. Well, on that med my body began requiring sleep aids again. For the last couple of months I've been back to just Melatonin.

So does Melatonin work? Yes. Does it always work for me? No. If I'm wide awake then it doesn't do anything for me. If I'm the slightest bit tired and I give it enough time (say 2-2.5 hours), it works. The more tired I am, the better it works for me.

Thank you for your replies, I'll be talking to my psych tomorrow

Im on Melatonin i rarely use it as it helps not at all with my insomnia. Now with propranolol my insomnia is even worse. Was up over 30
hours yesterday.

Olanzapine is notorious for weight gain. You could try Seroquel instead, or Abilify. Some have weight gain on these, less so on Abilify.

I’ve had no luck with melatonin.

Gabapentin helps with sleep and anxiety, but it isn’t an antipsychotic

Thanks for the suggestion, I've looked up Gabapentin

I'm not sure that it's the answer to the medication that you are prescribed? Is it good for overcoming jet lag? Sure. Does it work for those not taking a prescribed medication? Sure. Is it a good alternative if a prescribed sleep aid would be a bit too strong? Yep...
Is it safe to give it a try? Safe enough, it's otc and in the vitamin section. ...

Gabapentin helps with sleep? That's news to me. But then again, I'm on it for migraine pain so it's probably different. My dose is much higher (it was 6x what a friend who took it for depression was prescribed) and I take it in the morning and at night.

Seroquel, I can definitely attest that it works to help knock you out. Granted I'm super sensitive to side effects but I looked/acted drunk on it, worse than with Ambien even though it was just like it was when I was on Ambien. Seroquel ups your blood sugar levels so if you have a family history of diabetes you shouldn't take it (which I found out later).

Melatonin is the only thing that works for me. Ambien and Ambien CR did nothing. Gabapentin throws me into a mania phase.

Interesting about gabapentin. I tried it 3 different times and only got up to 50 or 100 mg only at night. It made me foggy all the next day. It did help my nerve pain somewhat though but I couldn't stand it.

Melatonin was helping me fall asleep but I'm trying CBD oil so haven't been taking it. I'm very sensitive to meds Haven't found any without side effects. I wonder if it's the melatonin that made so tired the next day. I stopped Savella because it made me dizzy and shaky. Of course I'm still shaky anyway without it, but not as bad.